Food and Drink: July 2008 Archives

Those of us who live on the south end of Carroll Gardens suffer a problem (and yes, I'm speaking for all of us). No matter where you live, it's rare to walk any more south. Everything is north: the restaurants, the bodegas, the grocery stores. I do walk one block down to hit Le Petit Cafe (bagels, coffee) and Las Americas (beer, anything else I happen to need right now), but I never go south of Nelson. Until recently, that is. And my walk took me right into the neighborhood's newest wine store, Fat Cat Wines, at Court Street between W 9th and Huntington. I've been there three times in the past week and show no signs of stopping. Two of those times I loved the wine I got, and one it was just so-so, but two out of three ain't bad. The store specializes in wine from small and often organic vineyards with a nice mix from the U.S. and abroad. Last night I picked up a great pinot gris from Oregon that wowed our dinner companions. On Friday, we picked up two reds at $12 each that tasted more like $18 bottles. And while I haven't tried any, I've been eyeing the lovely sake collection.

Also, currently on exhibit is work by Junko Shimizu, who worked as an assistant for Takashi Murakami (flyer below).

Root Hill Café

4^th Avenue and Carroll Street, Park Slope

There's no lack of spots to grab a cup of coffee in the Slope these days. Some are good, some are just OK, but one new spot really comes through on that eternal search for a really good cup of coffee. I'm talking about Root Hill Café on Fourth Avenue and Carroll Street. You know, the spot that used to house the grimy Family Car Service?

The owners of Root Hill have totally transformed the formerly blah space, incorporating small architectural elements (inside and out) like modern minimalist furniture alongside rustic elements like exposed brick and large plank wood floors. Plus, this coffee shop has a Clover—a non-Starbucks one at that. [For those not familiar, the Clover machine is an amazing little contraption that is actually a single cup brewer in a commercial capacity] Naturally, the coffee is kick-ass, and the bohemian employees are charming and feel like good friends after only a few visits.

Root Hill Café recently introduced a full breakfast menu to compliment its Blue Sky muffins and pastries from a 9th Street Patisserie, and I can't stop ordering those homemade cookies. If you need a reason to check it out, consider that the shop has seen some rough times lately--a recent flood wiped out their food and ruined their beautiful wood floor (reconditioned from a barn upstate)—so they could use a little support.

--Read more from blogger Kristen Haas at www.adventuresofagal.com

There will be naysayers--there was one in my head, actually--who will say that the Red Hook Ballfields vendors aren't the same since the Health Department stuck its nose in their business. And those naysayers would be right.

The switch from tables and open grills to trucks has resulted in fewer vendors with less grill and prep space. This means the normally long lines are even longer, and this on Saturday when there was only one soccer game in sight. I will add that the ratio of whities to non-whities was about 3 to 1.

The impromptu nature has been replaced by a much more settled feeling. However, I give it up to the vendors who were there in great spirits and delivering the top-notch huaraches and tamarind drinks that I love so much. Also in the house--papusas, mayo-smothered corn and ceviche.

I was a little disappointed the temp changed from 96 to 95 right before I snapped this pic at the corner of Huntington Street and Hamilton Avenue/the BQE. Still, pretty hot! How hot? Too hot for people to sit outside of Abilene on Court Street below at 6:30pm on a Saturday night. That's hot, people.

I can't not mention it since my review of Applewood (written while at Citysearch) is mentioned. Check it out. Also, the Brownstoner community is fierce ... the post already has 19 comments, and it was posted TODAY. I hope Brownstoner is planning on bottling that excitement and selling it as "online community holy water."

A friend over at Williamsburg is Dead is helping throw a little shindig for the Red Shed Community Garden and you should go! Seriously, $2 dogs, $3 burgers and happy vegetables, what more could you want from a lazy Saturday afternoon? 

I have a little confession: I've never been inside Carroll Garden's Marco Polo. It seems a bit impenetrable with its valet parking and old-schoolers congregating for cocktails and dinner. But this I know: The Italians of Carroll Gardens wouldn't have kept it in business for 25 years unless it served up some tasty Italian food. And now I have an excuse to go--the restaurant is serving a three-course $19.83 lunch, in honor of the year it opened, and a three-course $25 dinner, in honor of its anniversary. The special lasts throughout the summer and includes dishes such as house-made pasta with spicy cured anduja sausage and guanciale, grilled octopus, a prosciutto and mozzarella stuffed pork chop. Anybody want a lunch date with ABL?

And if you're not in the mood for fancy Italian, I can heartily recommend Marco Polo's pizza annex. The sausage, onion and broccoli rabe pizza is just about the perfect combo.